After 3 years of stormy wet winters, and successively drier summers, returning to the moss chair brought me delight, and disappointment. Some of the moss had not survived in some spots, and had fallen off, exposing the chair beneath. Due to insufficient organic matter under the moss (that would have absorbed and retained the rain's moisture) the moss dried out and died. My goal of having nature reclaim the chair did not seem to have been realized. The struggle when trying to manipulate such a sensitive wild plant is that even with one's best intentions, the first try often ends with failure. I wanted the moss to flourish and grow, but this was only partially the case.

However, delight came when I found that the roots from a nearby cedar tree had grown up into the chair from underneath it, infiltrating half of the structure with its dendritic claws of wood. There was also a spruce seedling, and a huckleberry plant that had taken root on top of the chair. So at least partially, nature had reclaimed it.

The Moss Chair is an installation piece that consists of an old armchair, transplanted moss, and years of rain. First built and completed in January 2013, this photo shows the chair from the perspective of the person sitting in it, looking out to the edge of the forest, the shoreline and the ocean. This spot is boat access only, frequented by kayak tours in the summer... the moss chair blends in with the surrounding forest of carpet moss, so you don't realize what it is until you are beside it, and ready to sit down. Its a luxury nature experience.